by CyclingTips

Link has been copied to your clipboard!

Defending champion Rui Costa, Rohan Dennis and Fabio Aru are amongst the big names in this week’s Abu Dhabi Tour, and all three gave brief thoughts on Tuesday prior to Wednesday’s start of the race. “The new route with a time trial changes the tactic,” said Costa, who is with the UAE Team Emirates squad. “But Jabel Hafeet remains a hard climb. It’s 25 minutes of climbing. It’s not easy to be the defending champion and, racing on home soil we have many motivated riders like Aru, Kristoff and Ulissi.”

Dennis will be one of those in the running for the TT on Saturday, but didn’t give a predication as to how he might fare. However he suggested that the race against the clock might not have a big effect overall. “I recently got married, so this trip to Abu Dhabi is like a honeymoon for me,” he said. “After my wedding in Australia, I spent one week in Girona, Spain, so I went from heat to cold and back to heat again. The time trial is only 12km long, so I don’t think it’s gonna play that much importance in the final result.”

As for Aru, he confirmed this week that he will target the Giro d’Italia for UAE Team Emirates this year. The Abu Dhabi Tour is consequently part of his buildup. “For sure I’m delighted to start the season with my new team here. It’s my third time racing the Abu Dhabi Tour,” he said. “The time trial makes it a slightly different race this time. It’ll put more riders into the mix for the overall victory.”